There are more things between Heaven and Hell
by Catie Kerwood
Summary: Perna's a racer, she hit the scene just after Dom and his team left. But she's not what she appears. She's something more, something different. And what she is, will put the entire team in dangers path.
1. I

Perna stood by her car; similar cars lined both sides of the LA Street for about a half a mile. People were with their groups by their cars, but she was by herself. Hector walked up and she smiled.

"Hi Hector." She said, her voice accented with a light Brogue.

"Hey Perna. You racing tonight?"

"No not tonight." She said.

"Aw, too bad. Specially cuz Dom's coming back tonight."

"Yes I heard that." Perna said as Edwin strutted up.

"Yo Perna." He said smirking. "You cuttin loose tonight?"

"Nah. In fact I'll most likely be leaving shortly after 'The King' arrives." She said, as she adjusted her black pleather pants further up on her hips and smoothed down her forest green halter-top, a dark blue Celtic peace knot tattooed on her left arm.

"But you're racing next time right?" Hector asked.

"I don't see why not." Perna said smiling and looking back forth between the two men.

"Sweet, I think we'd all like to see how you stand up against Dom in a race." Hector said and there was a roar of engines making them look over to see five cars in V formation enter the street.

"Shit here they are." Edwin said with a cocky smile, the cars stopped and the lead car's (a red Mazda RX-7 with a silver flame design coming up from the grill) door opened and a man stepped out, causing the surrounding crowd to cheer, this had to be Dom.

"Okay, show of hands." He said loudly. "Who missed me?" he said grinning with his arms out and the crowd roared again. Perna snorted and shook her head.

"Come on Perna, lets go meet the King." Hector said and grabbed her hand lightly. He started to lead her into and through the crowd, stopping in front of Dom.

"Hector! Great to see you again man!" he said and they shared a brotherly hug.

"Great to see you too Dom. By the way Dom this is..." he looked next to him to introduce him to Perna but she wasn't there, he looked behind him and all around but he didn't see her. "Yo Edwin!" he said. "Where's Perna?"

"I don't know man, she was right there with you a second ago." Edwin said and there was a squeal of tires heard over the crowd. They looked in time to see a dark blue Mazda RX-8 drive away fast.

"Hector, what's a Perna?" Dom asked.

"Perna's her name and she's a racer." Mia chimed in and they looked at her. "Quite a good one actually. Might give you a run for your money Dom." She said smiling.

"What's her deal?" Leon asked.

"She moved here from Ireland a couple months after you guys left." Hector said. "She won the first race she did, and she's been wining them ever since."

"And her car?" Dom asked.

"Mazda RX-8, 800 horsepower. No NOS, doesn't need it. There's running joke that she uses her Irish magic to win. Okay now on to business."

"Okay. Three-G buy in; winner takes all. Hector you hold the money as always." Dom said and a couple racers handed rolls of money to Hector. "Alright lets enjoy this thing."

Perna was sitting in her bedroom of her apartment, look out into the night, singing an old tune under her breath. The words were strange and alien sounding. Gaelic, it was old, dating back to when Celtic clans roamed the hills and valleys of her beloved home.

_"Words have power Perna, remember that." Her dear grandmother (may she rest in peace) had told her after teaching her the song when she had been just a girl._

She finished her song and looked over at the ancient weapon lying on her dark comforter on her bead, she clucked her tongue in disdain and looked back out the window. She hated that she had to carry the blasted thing around everywhere she went, whenever she went out. And no matter what she had to have it on, with it covered in cloaking magicks so no one would see it and wonder.

She ran to this godforsaken forest of concrete and steel to lose the bounty hunters on her tail, well its better than NYC. She went there and nearly died from the magickal blockage. But the City of Lost Angels was nice sometimes, especially when she was street racing. Going over 140 mph felt wonderful, it made her feel light inside. The only other thing that made her feel that way was forbidden to her unless she wanted the hunters to pick up her scent. She used as minimal magick as possible, only using one kind all the time, and that was low-key. Glamour to hide her true image, making her look like she had long red hair in tight ringlets, it made her eyes appear green and made freckles dot her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. It made her look like a stereotypical Irish girl.

The only authentic part about her was the accent, that and the height, a little over six feet. Perna made herself seem willowy and waif-ish, instead of her true lithe frame with hard muscles formed by years of combat and running. She hated running; she'd rather fight and go down fighting if that was the path that was chosen for her. One of the best warriors of her people and she had been reduced to running, her parents (if they had been still alive) would have been ashamed.

Hector walked down the hall of Perna's apartment building and stopped at her door, he raised a fist and knocked. The door opened after a moment, framing Perna.

"Hi Hector. What's up?" she asked.

"Why'd you leave before you were introduced to Dom?"

"I told you I was going to leave after he showed up, and I did."

"Okay, anyway, Dom always has a party after the race. Wanna come?" he asked and she perked a red eyebrow at him.

"Hector you know I don't 'do' parties."

"Just this one." He requested and she thought for a little while.

"Okay, I just have to get something first." She said and stepped back into the apartment.

"I doubt you'll get laid tonight!" he said after her.

"That's not what I was talking about!" she said from somewhere in the apartment.

Perna grabbed the quiver of arrows and slung in on her back, slipping the bow in a soft leather pouch attached to it. Saying a few words in Gaelic, the objects wavered then disappeared, but she could still feel them against her back, the strap for the quiver across her chest. But if someone touched her back they wouldn't feel them, just her back and her shirt was not dented in the front by the tight strap. She grabbed the keys to her car and walked back to the door, seeing Hector leaning in the doorway.

"You could have come in and sat on the couch or something."

"Nah, I knew you'd be only a minute or so." He said and she stepped out of the apartment, locking the door behind her. They walked down to the parking garage. "Follow me in your car to the Toretto's house." He said and she nodded, getting into her car, starting it up. She followed Hector's car out of the parking garage and onto the street.

They parked across the street from a house with loud music emanating from the window. They got out of their cars and walked up the street and up the front steps. Hector opened the door as if it were his own place and a spike of pain lanced through Perna's head from the loud music and the feeling of so many tainted auras in such a confined space. She rubbed between her eyes and grimaced at the smell of alcohol; suddenly thinking that maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"You okay Perna? You look a little off." Hector asked looking at her with concern.

"This is why I don't like parties." She said scowling.

"Hector!" Someone yelled and she winced at the loud sound. The man she recognized as Dom came over with a smile on his face, and she forced herself to stop scowling. "This Perna?" he asked gesturing to her and Hector nodded.

"This is Perna." Hector said and she forced herself to smile, taking the hand he offered her.

"Nice to meet you Perna." He said.

"Nice to meet you Dom." She said and his smile widened.

"I like your accent, it's very pretty. And your tattoo is very intricate."

"Thank you." She said as they released hands.

"Perna!" she heard and looked to see Mia coming over to her.

"Hello Mia." She said as they hugged.

"I'm kinda surprised that you came, you hate parties." She said as she withdrew.

"I don't hate them, I just don't like them." She said and Mia shrugged.

"Come on lets go get you something to drink." Mia said taking her hand lightly and starting to drag her away.

"Nice to meet you Dom." Perna managed to get out before she was yanked away.

Perna and Mia were in the kitchen, Mia sipping from a Snapple and Perna sipping from a water bottle. All of a sudden flags went up in Perna's mind and her warrior instincts kicked in. She looked around and out the window, but saw nothing but night's darkness.

"What is it Perna?" Mia asked standing next to her and looking out the window also.

"Nothing, and that's the problem."

"How is that a problem?"

"Forget it Mia, its not important." She said and Mia shrugged again.

"Okay, it's forgotten." Mia said as a man who was clearly drunk staggered into the kitchen. He had many tattoos and a beard, a thick scar that was still fading curling around one arm.

"Hello cutie." He said staggering over to Perna with a cocky smile on his face.

"Go away Vince, you're drunk." Mia said but he ignored her.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"None of your damn business." Perna said crinkling her nose at the smell of alcohol on his breath.

"Now come on don't be like that, I only wanted to know your name." Vince said walking closer, but she moved farther away from him, and the smell. The glass of the window shattered as a rock was thrown through from the outside and Mia gave out a small yell of surprise. Perna stepped around Vince and picked up the stone, seeing a small image carved into it.

"Shit." She said throwing it out of the small hole in the window. Dom came into the kitchen, concern written on his features.

"I thought I heard someone scream." He said.

"That was me, sorry. Someone outside threw a stone through the window and surprised me that's all. Isn't that right Perna?" Mia said looking to where Perna had been standing but she was gone. "Perna? Where'd she go?"

"I didn't see her leave." Dom said looking around.

Perna was on the roof of the house standing balanced on the uppermost peak; all glamours and cloaking stripped away. Her long thick brown mane of hair was pulled back by silver fastenings and her metallic silver slitted eyes darted back and forth, looking for the bounty hunters that found her, her pointed ears clearly showing. Her clothes had changed too; she was now wearing a black leather woman's jerkin with silver fastenings and a black leather pleated skirt that hit her knees with black leather warrior's heel-less boots coming halfway up her calf. She was Warrior Fey, the last member of the strongest clan.

Her bow was drawn and strung; an arrow already notched, but relaxed. The arrows and bow were old and inlaid with generations of war magick, short of destruction they always seemed to find their way back to their owner. The arrows were long and thin but strong, the shaft black and so were the feathers on the end, the arrow head was sharply pointed and strong, able to penetrate bone. The bow was also black with silver pounded into it in Celtic designs, the string made of animal sinew and wrapped in magick so it would never fray or break.

Perna scanned the street, looking for them, but not seeing them. She ran soundlessly to the back and looked into the backyard, but didn't see anything.

"Where are you? Show your faces you cowards." She whispered and heard glass shatter again, by the front this time. She ran back to the front and looked down see them, three bounty hunters, also fey, but they didn't try to hide their appearances, they didn't need to. Being Bounty Hunter Fey, they looked exactly like humans. She heard the front door open and watched as Dom and several other came out of the house and approached them.

"Can we help you?" he asked with fury dripping from his voice.

"You're hiding something that is ours, we want it." The lead Fey, Connor said.

"No we aren't. I'm going to tell you this once, leave now." He said and the bounty hunters laughed.

"Not until we have her." Connor said and Perna raised the bow aiming, pulling the string back and letting go. The arrow left soundlessly and buried itself into one of the bounty hunter's chest.

"Holy fuck!" someone yelled and she pulled another arrow out of the quiver, notching it. Connor looked up seeing her and smiled, he didn't try to stop the arrow that killed the other bounty hunter, leaving only him. He turned and ran and she sighted up the arrow as he ran, he can't be allowed to live, he'd bring more to this location if he got away and then innocent humans will die.

Perna led the target a little before letting an arrow loose, it flew through the night air and he was pushed forward as it struck his back. He fell to the ground, dying quickly. The bodies sunk into the Earth, leaving the arrows behind. She waved her hand and they left the ground, coming back to her. She put them back into the quiver after cleaning the blood off of them. Her mind and senses overrun by the thrill of battle, she didn't feel or hear the person walk up behind her. Something heavy struck the back of her head and she fell to the roof. She rolled onto her back seeing Vince standing over her holding a baseball bat. She felt herself falling but he grabbed her and pulled her up. Darkness swept over her senses.

Vince threw the creature over his shoulder after taking the quiver of arrows off it and holding it and the bow in one hand. Seeing one of those people dying with an arrow sticking out their chest had sobered him up. He climbed down the ladder and walked up the steps and into the kitchen using the back door.

"Yo Dominic!" he said and Dom came running into the kitchen. "Found something."

"That would be a someone Vince."

"No it wouldn't." Vince said and walked past him into the dining room. Everybody had left a little while ago once the cost was clear. "Clear off the table." He said and Leon took everything off it. He lowered the thing onto the table and laid it down. "It was up on the roof, putting away the arrows that killed those guys."

"You missed it Vince, those guys, I don't think that they were human. We have nothing on the front lawn, the bodies disappeared into the ground." Letty said.

"Its still a killer." Vince said, Leon got real close to it, examining it, seeing the pointed ears.

"What is it?" he asked and squeezed the tip of one of the ears, checking to see if was fake or not. The creature winced and they backed up. "Ears are real."

"Look at the way its dressed, it looks like a soldier or a warrior." Dom said. "And that tattoo, I swear I've seen it before." He said indicating to the dark blue Celtic tattoo on its left arm.

"Guys, this thing whatever it is, is female." Mia said.

"How can you tell?" Vince asked.

"Well look at the chest, its got breasts, the facial features are delicate and feminine, and the hips are slender. This thing is definitely female." She said.

"Okay, the guys or whatever they were out there said that we were hiding something of theirs, and that they wouldn't leave until they got her. And then one of them died with an arrow sticking out of his chest. She could be what they were looking for." Dom said.

"You mean one of these arrows?" Vince asked and handed one to him. "I found a quiver strapped to her back and she was holding a bow. This bow." He placed the bow next to the creature on the table.

Perna gained consciousness when Leon had pinched her ear but didn't open her eyes, knowing that the team was standing over her.

"I found a quiver strapped to her back and she was holding a bow. This bow." She heard Vince say and heard the sound of wood on wood as her bow was set down next to her, she could feel its magick lapping against the skin of her arm like waves of an ocean. It missed her.

"Okay, but we still don't know what it is, female or not." She heard a woman whose voice she didn't recognize say.

"Good point Letty, lets find something to tie her up with before she wakes up. The first things we have to ask her when she does is what she is and what she was doing up there." Dom said.

"And what her name is, that could be helpful in the whole interrogation process." Mia said and she felt herself being picked up in strong arms. Dom's she concluded, she remembered his scent from when they had shaken hands and it had piqued her interest. She'll allow them to tie her up; thinking that she's still out, but she'll let it go only so far. She's sat down in a ladder backed chair and her hands are brought behind her back, her wrists tied together with a rag strung through one of the rungs, her ankles tied together the same way. Tight but not too tight, she still had circulation but she didn't have any slack.

Perna faked waking up by snapping her eyes open and trashing against the bonds. They jumped away and she yelled at them in Gaelic, she didn't swear at them, she basically said 'Hi! How ya doin?' with a fierce tone and with a deadly glare.

"What she say?" Leon asked.

"Do I look like I can speak...what ever language she just spoke?" Dom asked. He approached her and she looked at him with furious cautious eyes. "Can you speak English?" he asked but she didn't give him an answer, let them figure it out on their own. "I'll take that as a no. Do you understand me?" she nodded slowly. "Okay, it's a start. Since you can't speak English, but you understand it, We're gonna ask you a few questions. Shake your head for no, and nod for yes. Understood?" she nodded. "Okay. You're not human are you?" she shook her head. "Didn't think so."

"Those guys that you killed. Were they human?" Letty asked and Perna shook her head. "Were they after you?" she nodded. Mia approached but Dom put an arm out.

"Don't want to get too close." He said.

"If I untie you. Will you hurt us?" Mia asked and she shook her head. Mia walked around Dom's arm and to the back, starting untie the knot in the rag.

"Mia, what the hell are you doing?" Dom asked.

"She said that she wouldn't hurt us."

"She didn't say shit Mia-girl, she just shook her head." Leon said and she glared at him from over her shoulder.

"She can't speak English Leon, so she can't say anything at all." Mia said undoing the knot and moving to the front. "Don't try to kick me now." She said and Perna smiled at her. Mia undid the knot, straightened and took a step or two back. Perna stood from the chair and clenched and unclenched her hands, and stretched with her arms above her head and her back bowed forward. She relaxed with a smile on her face and went to the table, strapping her quiver back onto her back.

She picked up her bow and ran a hand down the wood, as if comforting it. Perna closed her eyes and her smiled widened. She unstrung it and slipping it into the leather pouch, winding up the string and hooking it to her belt. She turned and saw them all watching her. Her smile became gentle and she walked forward stopping when she was in front of them. She nodded at them and went to the front door, leaving. Vince moved to go after her but Dom put his arm out stopping him.

"Just let her go V, just let her go and be thankful that you're still alive for the knock to the back of her head you gave her." Dom said.

"Damn why'd she have to hit me so hard?" they heard and went into the kitchen seeing the Perna they knew stumble into the open back door, a hand to her head. "I know she wants to protect me and all, but damn that hurt!" Dom went to her side.

"You okay?" he asked and she looked at him.

"Yeah I'm fine, bleeding but fine." She said taking her hand away from her head letting them see the small cut on her forehead. "She hits really hard."

"Who?" Dom asked.

"Warrior."

"The freaky looking chick with the pointed ears that just left?" Letty asked and she looked at her.

"You guys met her?"

"Vince kinda knocked her out and brought her in." Dom said and Perna looked at Vince in surprise.

"You knocked her out?" she asked and Vince nodded. "Wow, I'm surprised you're not dead."

"She would have killed me for it?"

"She's a warrior and you got the better of her, people who do that usually don't have a long life span." Perna said.

"Okay, since you seem to know her pretty well. Would you be willing to answer a few questions about her?" Mia asked.

"Okay. What do guys want to know?" she said.

"How about we take this into the living room?" Dom suggested and they walked into the living room, the team sat down on the couch and chairs, but Dom and Perna stayed standing. "Okay, what is she?"

"I don't know, she's never told me." Perna said.

"How did you two meet?" Mia asked.

"We grew up together. My family has been protecting hers for centuries. Well not really protecting them, more like keeping their existence a secret, and in return they protect my family in definition of the word. She's a couple years older than I am. When I was only nine or ten, my younger brother found a kelpie in our lake." Perna said.

"What's a kelpie?" Letty asked.

"A water demon, they take the form of horses to lure people onto their backs. With the person on their backs, they then dives straight down to the bottom to the lake or river and devour the person, leaving the entrails to float to the surface. Warrior saw the kelpie dive with my brother on its back and dove into the water, swimming down. We all saw this and waited on the edge for her to come back, then the body of the kelpie floated to the surface and she breached a short time later holding my brother. He was still alive and she performed CPR, she saved his life. Believe me, there are more things between Heaven and Hell." Perna said.

"Can you understand her? She spoke a different language." Vince said and she nodded.

"Gaelic, very old language. I can speak it and understand it. Now if you don't mind, I need to get home and get some sleep, and a shower. Not in that order mind you." She said as she dug in her pockets finding her car keys.

"Why'd she hit you?" Letty asked.

"To protect me, she told me that bounty hunters had found her then knocked me out and most likely cloaked me in spells so I couldn't be seen. They wore off when the danger had passed." She said and walked to the front door, Dom following her. She stopped by the front door and opened it pausing before stepping out. "Nice party Dom, hopefully they aren't all like this." She said smiling and he chuckled.

"No, this ranks pretty high on my weird scale." Dom said and she continued to smile. "Her eyes."

"What about them?"

"They were the creepiest thing about her, the pointed ears I could deal with. But not metallic silver, and they were slitted like a cats." He said and she nodded.

"Yeah they definitely take some getting used to."

"She was very pretty though." Dom said and she smirked.

"I'll be sure to tell her that you think so. She's pretty to you because she's mysterious." Perna said and he looked into her eyes. She was only about an inch shorter than he was.

"She not prettier than you though." He said and she blushed making him smile. He leaned forward and touched his lips to her forehead in a short kiss making her gasp in surprise. He pulled back and tucked a piece of her long very curly red hair behind an ear. "Get some sleep Perna. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Will you now?" she asked.

"I'll make it happen." He said winking at her and she smiled, walking out the door. He leaned in the doorway for a little while, watching her get into her car and drive away. He closed the door and went back to the living area seeing the team watch him, smirks on their faces. "What?" he asked and they laughed.

"Nothing bro, nothing at all." Vince said.

Perna locked her apartment door behind her and stripped off the glamours, starting to undo the fastenings of the jerkin. Her torso bare underneath. With the jerkin hanging loosely from her hand she walked into the bedroom and tossed it on the bed, slipping out of the boots and skirt. She hung them up and padded naked to the shower, starting it up and stepping in.

Perna ran her fingers through her thick brown hair as the water started to weigh it down. She washed her hair and body and rinsed, turning off the shower and wrapping a towel around herself. She dried her hair with another towel as she walked back to her bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. She thought of the nights events and sighed, more tired than she realized. Without getting into any pajamas or anything she crawled into bed with her silver blade under her pillow and closed her eyes, going to sleep quickly.

Dom swept up the broken glass in the kitchen and vacuumed the little pieces up in the living room. He'd call a glass replacement company tomorrow; the team had gone to bed after they cleaned up after the wake of the party leaving Dom to deal with the broken windows. He saw a small stone sitting by the TV and picked it up, looking at it. A small Celtic symbol had been carved into the smooth surface and he ran the pad of his thumb over it before slipping it in his pocket. Getting a piece of plastic he covered up the small hole in the glass and did the same in the kitchen.

He sat on the couch in the living room, mentally going over what had happened tonight. It started out normal, he won a race and collected money, had a party. But things started to get weird when Perna showed up with Hector. Not a half an hour after she showed up those guys, whatever they were, showed up. Then Warrior was found, and she wasn't human. All the weird shit started happening after Perna showed up.

And what were those guys? Some kind of law enforcement? Bounty hunters? What did they have to do with Warrior? Had she done something wrong to get a price on her head? She seemed nice enough, she didn't kill them at least, and if Perna had been telling the truth, she saved her younger brother from a water demon. Water demons, inhuman women, people that when they die their bodies sunk into the ground. It was starting to sound like a fairy tale. Or a Grimms fairy tale.

Still thinking about it, Dom got ready for bed and when he crawled under the covers he made a connection. The tattoo that had been on Warrior's arm was the same that had been on Perna's. Oh well, they did grow up together after all.

Perna woke up the next morning to hear someone knocking on her door. Grumbling she got up getting a bathrobe on to cover her nakedness. She quickly glamoured herself and looked through the peephole in her door seeing Dom. She turned the lock back and opened the door just as the last lock of brown hair turned red and curled and the last freckle appeared.

"Good morning." Dom said and she smiled tiredly.

"If you say so. Wait a minute...how did you find out where I live?"

"Hector, you two seemed pretty tight so I asked him." he said.

"Ah, I'll have to have a talk with him about giving away information about me." Perna said.

"Can I come in?" he asked and she stepped aside, opening the door more.

"Sure, come on in." she said and stepped back allowing him to enter. Dom closed the door behind him and watched as she walked away and further into the apartment. "I'm just going to get dressed."

"You like fine just how you are." Dom said grinning and she looked over her shoulder as she walked.

"Funny." She said and walked into a room, closing the door behind her. Dom sat down on her dark green couch and waited for her to return.

Perna got dressed and went out into the living room after dragging a brush through her gnarled hair. Dom was sitting on the couch looking completely at home.

"How do you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Look relaxed no matter where you are."

"Practice, lots and lots of practice. Is Warrior around?" he asked and she quickly thought of something.

"No, she's out looking for a new pair of boots."

"She out in public, looking the way she does." Dom said carefully.

"She wears my clothes, keeps a pair of sunglasses on and keeps her hair down, and she looks like a normal person. Except for the way she walks, she tends to glide instead of walk."

"Glide?"

"Yes, it looks like her feet aren't even moving, as if she's just sort of floating. But then again certain type of dancers can do that, so I guess its not all that strange." Perna said. "Why did you want to know if she was around?"

"I wanted to ask her some more questions."

"Such as?"

"Like where she's from."

"Dom, she and I grew up together remember? Obviously she's from Ireland." She said looking down at her feet.

"Okay, now a question for you."

"Fire away."

"Why don't you have mirrors in your apartment?" he asked and she looked at him. Mirrors cannot lie, and since glamour is a lie her reflection is of her true form. She couldn't risk having someone over and seeing her reflection. Same thing with cameras and having her picture taken.

"I never found a use for them." She said quickly.

"Not even to know if you looked alright?"

"I know what I look like, and I know what I look like in all my clothes." She said shrugging.

"Fair enough. Now why don't you come over and sit next to me on this nice comfy couch?" Dom asked smiling and she couldn't stop the smile tugging at her own lips, he was after all very attractive, but far too human.

_Look but don't touch._ She thought as she walked over and sat next to him on the couch.

"When will she be back?" Dom asked.

"I don't know. She usually just comes back when she feels like it, but she never stays away more than a day, she's always back before night fall." Perna said.

"Good, that gives us some time then." He said looking at her.

"Time for what?" Perna asked looking back at him and he kissed her, lacing his fingers into her hair behind her head and pressing her mouth harder into his. He pulled away after a little bit.

"That." He said grinning and kissed her again. She pressed back against his lips, kissing him back. Perna wrapped her arms around his neck and he growled against her lips, parting them and exploring her mouth with his tongue as he pushed her back on the couch so she was laying down. For him it's only been a matter of weeks, but for her it's been a matter of years.

_"They'll never accepted us Perna, we're different." Her grandfather (may he rest in peace) had said when he found out that she had been dating a human boy from town._

_"Ewan said that no matter what I was, he'd still care about me."_

_"Did you tell him?"_

_"No of course it I didn't."_

_"Perna, humans will never accept us. No matter what they say. Find me a human man that will accept you whole-hearted and I will accept him into the family."_

But Dom didn't accept her for what she truly was, and she couldn't risk taking away the glamours and letting him see that she and Warrior was the same woman. He might overreact and do something stupid, like tell someone. So that's why she took her arms from around his neck and pressed her hands against his chest pushing him back. He looked at her for a second in confusion and watched her as she stood.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked and she turned her back on him, hugging herself and suddenly missing his warmth.

"I can't do this Dom." She said and heard him stand, feeling his warmth on her back and his hands on her shoulders.

"If you're worried about protection, believe me I've got it covered. Or I will, if you let me." Dom said and she snorted.

"Like you could get me pregnant anyway."

"What do you mean? You sterile or something?"

"You could say that, yes." Perna said and the truth was her people and humans weren't chemically compatible. A male of her kind could not get a human female pregnant, just like a human male could not impregnate a female of her kind. "Dom could you please leave?"

"What?" Dom asked incredulously.

"You heard me. I want you to leave, now in fact." Perna said and Dom left. After the door closed and she heard his heavy footsteps go down the hall she sat back down on the couch. She could still feel his warmth on the cushions. She hated being alone, but it was only way to keep those she cared about safe. Hector, Edwin, Mia, and now Dom, if they really knew who and what she was, they would die and it would be on her hands. No she won't kill them, the Bounty Hunters would but it would be her fault. That's why she has to be alone, completely alone.

Dom got back to the house, his mind going over recent events. He kept remembering the tattoo, the Celtic tattoo on both Perna's and Warrior's arm, and she never kept mirrors in the apartment. It was strange that she didn't, Mia had at least three, and Letty had one or two. In fact every woman he had ever known had at least two mirrors. But not Perna, she didn't have any mirrors at all. As his mind went over her apartment, he also noticed that none of her things had a reflective surface, they were all dull. It was as if she didn't want to see her reflection, as if she didn't want anyone to see her reflection. Like she didn't have one.

_What? That's insane. Of course she has a reflection, she's not a vampyre. But...what were her words? There are more things between Heaven and Hell._ Dom thought as he got out of his car and walked up the steps. _She's human._

Of course she is, you just keep telling yourself that.

_Who are you?_

I'm you Dom, just you. The voice of reason inside your head, we haven't spoken in a long time. How are you?

_Can't complain. Now what do you want?_

Just to talk, Perna's something special isn't she?

_Sure is._

And so is Warrior. Don't you think?

_Yeah._

Okay, enough of this. I'm not your voice of reason. I was put here.

_By who?_

The real question you should be asking is 'by what?' Perna, Dom. Perna put me in here. Or more specifically, Warrior.

_Why?_

Because Perna told her to. They aren't friends; Warrior is Perna's slave. She's just an attack dog, and Perna holds the leash. Now I want out of here, it's far too cluttered. You're going to help me get out.

_What do I need to do?_

Kill Perna, you kill her and I'll go away. But first you have to kill Warrior. Warrior will try to protect Perna, get rid of the protection and she'll be vulnerable.

_I couldn't kill anyone._

You wanted to kill Kenny Linder for killing your father and you almost did too. And Johnny Tran, you wanted to kill him for killing Jesse. Kill Warrior and Perna and I'll be out of your nonexistent hair. You can do it tonight, while she's asleep and vulnerable. Warrior will be guarding her of course, but catch her by surprise and you can kill her. I'll even walk you through it. Step by step by step. Will you do it?

_I'm going insane, I must be. I didn't come back from Mexico one hundred percent. It's the strain, that its. It was all the stress of Vince getting hurt, my fault. Of Letty getting hurt, my fault. I tore my family apart. They don't need me anymore. Mia doesn't need her older brother anymore; she can take care f herself now. Vince resents me; Leon and Letty hate me for not listening to them when they said that the job was a bad idea. But I didn't listen. I was stupid. They hate me; I should just kill myself and let them get on with their lives._

Don't think that Dom! Your family loves you. If you're going to kill anyone, kill Warrior and Perna. They are the ones that are making you feel like this. Perna isn't the innocent little girl she makes herself out to be. She's an evil, vindictive, plotting little whore. She's jealous of everything you have, while you were gone she tried to take over your family, she made friends with your sister and has been trying to get her to turn against you ever since you got back. Kill her and all your sorrows, all your pain will go away. Now will you do it?

_Yes._


	2. II

Perna was sleeping, the glamours stripped away.

Dom entered the apartment, his gun in his hand with a silencer attached. He had gotten the key from the landlord saying that he was Perna's new boyfriend. He expected to be stopped by Warrior but there was no one around.

_Where is she?_ He thought.

Warrior must be guarding over her while she sleeps. The bedroom is that door over there, by the bathroom.

_Okay._ Dom thought as he went to the door and slowly eased it open, seeing Warrior asleep on the bed. _You said that Warrior will be guarding Perna, Warrior is asleep. Where the hell is Perna?_

I don't know, just kill Warrior and deal with Perna when she shows up. You can do this Dom.

_Yes I can._ Dom thought as he put on in the chamber and raised the gun.

Perna woke to the sound of a gun being cocked. Her eyes snapped open to see Dom in her room pointing a gun at her. She rolled to the side just as he pulled the trigger and the bullet went into her wall.

"Dom? What the hell are you doing?" she asked and a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.

_Wait a minute she..._

Concentrate, this is another one of her tricks.

Perna leapt off the bed grabbing the knife from under her pillow and went into fighting stance as he cocked another bullet into the chamber.

"Dom listen to me." She said in a calm voice.

"No, its all lies." Dom growled and his finger tensed on the trigger. She danced away and another bullet hit the wall. He kept pulling the trigger but there was just clicking, empty. He looked at the gun in confusion. "Only came here with two bullets. One for you and one for Perna."

"Give me the gun Dom." She said holding her hand out. "Dom give me the gun."

Don't do it Dom! She'll kill you and then go after your family.

Perna caught a glimpse of shadow out of the corner of her eye and the knife flew out of her hand towards it. The knife imbedded itself into the chest of a Bounty Hunter and Dom fell to his knees. The voice in his head fading as the Hunter died.

"I don't understand." He said, he suddenly reached out, grabbing her trashcan and vomiting into it, then dry-heaved for a few minutes.

"One of the Bounty Hunters that are after me decided to use you, I'm sorry Dom. I'm so sorry." Perna said and the sight of fire caught her eyes. The body of the Bounty Hunter incinerated itself leaving a singed knife behind. "That's one thing I like about Bounty Hunters, no messy clean up when they're dead." She said quietly and her eyes flicked to Dom still kneeling on the floor. She went to his side and put her hands on his ribs after taking the gun that was still in his hand and setting it on her dresser. "Come on big guy, lets get you cleaned up." He stood and she let him lean on her while they hobbled to the bathroom.

"No mirrors in here either." Dom said attempting humor. She handed him a wet washcloth and a small bottle of mouthwash. He opened it taking a swig from it, swishing gargling and spitting it out into her sink. "Thanks." He said wiping his mouth with the wet washcloth and she smiled weakly at him. "I don't understand. What just happened?"

"The Bounty Hunters that are after me, they'll do almost anything to get me. They'll even enter the mind of a human to try to get them to kill me or hand me over to them. They chose you because...oh hell I don't know." Perna said.

"I thought you couldn't speak English." He said narrowing her eyes at her and her hands flew up her ears finding them pointed.

"Shit. Dom I..."

"Wait a second. Warrior look at me." Dom said and her eyes met his. He looked very intently into her eyes and raised one hand, putting it to her cheek, running his fingers back and forth across her skin. She pressed against his hand and he leaned forward, pressing his lips against her forehead and freezing, pulling away. "Perna?" she nodded, looking away. "Why didn't you tell me? The team?"

"I had to protect you guys, I had to protect you from the people that are after me. If you guys knew that this was my true form then they would go after you. Please don't tell them Dom, I don't want to bring them into this."

"I won't tell them. But explain to me how you look different than how you really look." Dom said.

"Glamours, it's a type of magick. Where do you think the word 'glamorous' comes from?" Perna said and he nodded. He just had his mind invaded by a bounty hunter; he's willing to believe anything at this point. "You should go home, get some sleep."

"No, I want to stay here. Please Perna, I won't try anything. I just want to lie next to you, hold you while you sleep." Dom said and she thought for a long moment, her brow furrowed and her lips set in a thoughtful scowl.

"Okay." She said finally and he took her hand in his own, leading her back into the bedroom. Perna walked around and lay down while Dom sat down on the edge, taking off his shoes, shirt and socks. Raising his hips a little he removed his pants revealing black boxers and swung his legs up on the bed. He covered him self with the white sheet and looked at her. Her metallic silver slitted eyes gazed back into his dark brown eyes. He moved closer to her and she turned over so her back was to him.

Perna felt him put an arm around her waist and she backed up against his chest. They both fell asleep like that; their bodies spooned together.


	3. III

In this chapter, Perna sheds some light on her world and she and Dom get a little bit closer.

Dom woke to the sound of the shower running, the smooth sound of Perna's singing coming through the closed bathroom door. It took him a little while for him to recognize where he was. Perna's apartment, in her bedroom, lying in her bed. The previous night's events rushed to the front of his memory and he flinched. He actually came here to kill her, even though he was being used by a Bounty Hunter. It took him a minute to recognize the song she was singing. Falling Again by Lacuna Coil, she would like Lacuna Coil.

The shower shut off but she continued to sing, determined to finish the song. The door opened and he finally saw her. Her light brown hair was slicked back with water revealing her pointed ears; her metallic silver slitted eyes glowed as morning light from the window hit them. A white towel was wrapped around her body under her arms. She smiled at him and went over to her dresser, grabbing a big black shirt out and slipping it on, it stopped at about mid thigh and the towel dropped to her feet from under it.

"Good morning." She said in that lightly Irish accented voice that drove him crazy, in a good way not the homicidal way he was last night.

"Good morning." He said smiling back.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good. You?"

"Pretty good. Except for the usual nightmares."

"Of?" Dom asked, concerned.

"Nothing that I want to bother you with." Perna said.

"Oh please, bother me."

"Its nothing Dom, please drop it." She said, a flicker of sadness passed through her eyes and the smile left, making him drop it.

"On a different subject. What are we going to tell the team?" Dom asked.

"Tell the team about what?"

"About you. That is, if you want to keep lying to them about who and what you really are. Speaking of which. What are you?" he asked and she smiled weakly.

"I'm um...I believe humans call them fairies." She suggested and he laughed without meaning to. "Not that kind of fairy. I know what you call that, and I think it's very rude. I mean the old spelling, f-a-e-r-i-e. I'm Fey, Warrior Fey in fact." She said and he nodded. "You really have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

"None whatsoever." Dom said looking down with an embarassed smile.

"There are different kinds. Guardian Fey, like your Tinker Bell, Warrior Fey, like me. And then there's Bounty Hunter Fey, probably the worst kind or pure Fey. They look exactly like humans, and they'll do anything for a price. Then there are sub-species, like Pixies, Nixies, Changelings, Goblins and Dwarves. Then there's the Demon Fey, like Kelpies, Harpies, and Gargoyles. Harpies and Gargoyles are vicious; you want to stay away from them. They've been known to rip humans apart. But they are primarily in central Europe." Perna stopped when she saw the look of shock Dom was giving her.

"All these things actually exist?" he asked in a shocked whisper.

"Yes." She said.

"What about you know, werewolves?" he asked and she waved her hand in a dismissive manner.

"Canine species, along with Hellhounds." She said. "Any more questions?"

"Vampyres?"

"Real, but they're in a species of their own. Known as the Undead, they are in there with Zombies."

"The creature from the Black Lagoon."

"Fiction."

"Frankenstein."

"Fiction."

"Dragons."

"Real, they're in the Aerial species." Perna said.

"You're serious?"

"Yes. They live in the Black Forest of Germany."

"The Loch Ness Monster."

"Real, and Champ in Lake Champlain of upstate New York. They're in the Sea Serpent species."

"Phoenixes." Dom queried.

"Real, they're in the same species as Dragons. But Phoenixes are so much nicer than Dragons. Certain types of Dragons will kill you on sight, but all Phoenixes will look into your heart and see your intentions, and if your intentions are pure, then you just made a new best friend. Very loyal too, they live in primarily Arizona and Nevada. Anything else?"

"Not right now, no." Dom said feeling kind of stupid. All these creatures existed while he and basically every human on the planet believed that they were purely fiction. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because you have been brought into this with the events of last night. You need to be prepared. I don't want you to be torn apart by a Harpie when I could have prevented it." Perna said.

"Oh. I do have one question."

"Okay."

"What's the difference between a Nixie and a Pixie?"

"Pixies will steal from you, mostly metal things, but Nixies will drown you."

"Like a Kelpie?"

"No, Nixies just drown you, they don't eat you afterwards."

"Oh." Dom said and she crawled onto the bed, sitting in front of him with her shirt stretched over her knees and putting her hand on his cheek.

"You okay? You look a little pale." She asked but he nodded.

"I'm fine, this is just a lot to take in." Dom said and she looked at him with concern.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked and he put his large hand on hers.

"I'm fine." He said again, she smiled at him kindly and he turned his face into her hand, kissing her palm gently. "Okay back to subject. Should we tell the team about you?"

"It'll just drag them into something that could very well get them killed. I don't want to put them in that kind of danger. If they are meant to find out, then they will." She said letting her hand drop and he nodded, keeping a hold of her hand. He leaned forward suddenly and pressed his lips to hers, she gasped in surprise bringing his lips in tighter. He parted her lips with his and deepened the kiss making her whimper into his mouth. He pushed forward she was lying on her back. He broke the kiss to grin at her and straighten so his legs were behind him.

"You didn't put any underwear on." He said and she grinned back.

"You're right, I didn't." She said and they kissed again as he ran his hands up her long legs to push the shirt up past her waist. "Dom could you promise me something?" She asked breaking the kiss.

"Yes?" Dom asked pressing his lips to one of her ears and tracing the point with the tip of his tongue making her moan and grabbing her waist, pushing her further back on the bed.

"Go slow, I haven't done this in years." Perna requested as he lay between her legs. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her, unashamed desire burning her eyes making them look like twin pools of quicksilver instead of hardened steel. He lowered himself down so they could kiss gently and she raised her arms and arched her back against him so he could remove her shirt. He buried his hands in her thick hair and they kissed deeply.


	4. IV

They lay there afterwards, breathing heavily.

"So." Dom asked after a little while and Perna looked at him. "Why'd you let me this time?"

"Because you accepted me. You accepted what I was." She said and rolled over so she was lying against his chest, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her up a little so he could kiss her head. "I need another shower." She said and he snorted.

"You want company?" he asked looking down at her and she looked up at him, her silver eyes glinting mischievously.

"Of course." She said and they got off the bed, she bent at the knees and picked something off the floor, holding up what used to be his boxers. "Well these are trashed." He took them from her.

"Yeah, the waistband is pretty much gone." He said and she chuckled.

"Well, the elastic annoyed me." She said and he laughed.

"So you shredded them?"

"Of course." She said and put a T-shirt and sweatpants on.

"I thought you were going to take a shower." Dom said and she looked at him, picking up her trashcan.

"I am, but I have to clean this out first. It's starting to smell." She said with a wrinkled nose and carried it at arm length into the kitchen. He heard the faucet start. "Dear Goddess Dom! What the hell did you eat yesterday?" she exclaimed. He heard the garbage disposal start and after a while stop and she came back into the bedroom. "It is now sitting in the sink with really hot water and pine-sol in it."

"Good. Now we can we take a shower?" Dom asked.

"Anxious are we?" she asked.

"I want to see your naked body. I mean I felt it, but I never saw it."

"Got a point."

"Knew I did. Now can we take a shower?" Dom asked in exasperation and she grinned but didn't say anything. She walked past him to the bathroom taking off her shirt in the process.

"Well?" she asked in the doorway. "You comin?"

"Not yet, but I guarantee you that I will." Dom said grinning and she laughed. He walked to her and they went into the bathroom, the door closed behind them and the shower started a short while later.

Dom and Perna parked in front of his house and got out of their cars. When he got close enough he pushed aside her curly red hair and ran his fingers along the back of her neck. She had glamoured herself shortly before they had left and he decided that he liked her true form better than her glamoured form. Sure, her glamoured form was super cute, but her true form was super beautiful. She looked at him briefly and her eyes flashed silver before turning back to green. They walked up the front steps and he opened the door.

"Hey! Anyone home?" he asked but there was no response. "Guess not."

"I could have told you that, their cars aren't outside." Perna said and he looked at her, seeing her in her true form.

"Oh shut up." He said and she laughed making him smile. "You hungry?"

"Starving." She said and they went into the kitchen get something to eat.

Mia and the rest of the team walked into the house, Mia laughing at something Letty said.

"Yo Dom!" Vince said as he closed the door.

"Yeah what is it V?" Dom asked coming out of the kitchen, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Nothin, just making sure you were here. I saw Perna's car outside, she here too?" he asked and Dom nodded. A smiling Perna appeared at his side.

"Hey guys." She said tucking a piece of curly red hair behind her ear. Dom looked at her and she winked at him. "Well Dom, thank you for...what time is it?"

"A little after twelve."

"Then thank you for lunch. I should get going." She said touching his arm lightly and he smiled at her gently.

"Okay, I'll see you when I see you." Dom said and she nodded at him.

"See you when I see you." She said and walked past them to the door. "It was nice seeing you all again." She said as she left, they heard her car roar away from the curb a moment later.

"Wow, you sure don't waste any time do you Dom?" Letty asked and he looked at her.

"What does that mean?" Dom asked looking at her intently.

"We broke up what a couple weeks ago? And you've known her what a couple days? And you two have already hooked up?" Letty said and the team, sensing danger, left so they could 'talk'.

"Yeah Letty, she and I are together. Why do you care? You left me remember?"

"It's not like you gave me any choice Dominic. Things got fucked up; I tried to stay with you, to stay by your side. But it was kinda hard to keep loving you when I knew that you were hurting inside and you wouldn't let me help."

"I didn't need your help Letty." Dom said. "I loved you more than anything else and you crushed my heart under your shoe. I faced my demons; I beat shit out of them. I pulled myself out of the emotional black hole I was in. And I got over you. Now you have the nerve to...I'm with someone that I care a lot about." He said and that's when Letty noticed black cord around his neck going into his black T-shirt.

"What do you have around your neck?" she asked and he pulled it out of his shirt, revealing a silver Celtic knot pendant knotted on it. "Did she give you that?"

"Yes actually she did." Dom said and she walked forward so she was right in front of him, she took it in her hand and looked at it.

"What is it?"

"It's a symbol of protection."

"Protection? Against what?"

"I can't tell you that. But I can tell you that she bought one for each of us." Dom said and reached into his pocket pulling out several of the same necklace. He handed one to her. She took it from him but didn't put it on. "Please Letty. Put it on."

"What will it protect me against?"

"You know those guys that came here a few days ago, the ones that Warrior killed?"

"Yeah."

"It'll protect you against that and many other things." Dom said and his mind flashed back to when Perna had bought them before they went to the house. She had put protection wards on them right there in the parking lot. Letty thought for a moment then put the necklace on, tucking it into her red tank top. "We done here?" he asked tucking his back into his black V-neck T-shirt.

"Yeah, we're done." Letty said and went upstairs to her bedroom; she took off the necklace and dropped it in the garbage can. It hit the bottom of the metal bin with an ominous clang. "I'm not accepting anything that bitch offers, and I definitely don't need protection. Not from her, not from anyone."

Perna picked up the phone mid-ring and held it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hi Perna." Dom said in Gaelic, or at least tried. "How'd I do?" he asked in English.

"Your pronunciation is kinda bad. Just let it roll off your tongue, smooth." She said and he said it again, this time with a little more ease. "Very good. Now why are you learning Gaelic and how?"

"I bought a Gaelic/English dictionary and I've been trying a few things." He said.

"Okay that's the how. Now the why."

"I don't know. I wanted to oh hell I don't know. I just thought that maybe if I knew how to talk to you in your language, then maybe I would understand you just a little bit more."

"Dom, I grew up speaking Gaelic. It's my first language. I didn't learn English until I went to a human high school. It took me so long just to get rid of my accent. It used to be really thick. But I appreciate the gesture of your trying to learn Gaelic. It really means a lot, but that doesn't mean that you have to. When you're ready, you'll understand me. Learning my language won't help you get there any faster." Perna said and heard him sigh.

"Good because this was starting to give me a headache." Dom said and the sound of something heavy being thrown across the room came through the phone and she laughed. "I gave the team the pendants that you warded."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, they were kinda suspicious at first, but they accepted them."

"Well that's good. I don't want anyone in the team to be used by a Bounty Hunter just to get to me. Next time I might not see the Hunter and then I'll have to kill whomever it is they used. And I don't want that to happen."

"Neither do I Perna. Neither do I." Dom said.

They talked for a little while longer before they hung up. Perna changed into dark blue silk pajamas and crawled into her bed. Dom changed into boxers and crawled into his.


	5. V

Perna got up from her bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. She washed her hair and body and laid out her outfit for tonight, because tonight there was a race. And she'll be racing against Dom. She turned on her CD player and switched it to her favorite Godsmack song, Voodoo.

"I'm not the one who's so far when I feel the snakebite enter my veins. Never did I want to be here again, and I don't remember why I came." Sulley sang and she moved her body along to the almost primitive-like beat.

Dom woke hearing the team move around downstairs and he got up, putting a gray T-shirt on over his bare chest. Yawning he went into the bathroom and took a shower, putting his shirt and boxers back on after he was done and dried off. He shaved his head and face and padded back into his room, flopping back down on his bed. Perna will probably be up by now and picking out her outfit for the race tonight. He was racing her; he knew that for sure. He smiled at that thought. There was a knock on his door and it opened a little.

"Dom you awake?" Vince asked quietly.

"Yeah V, what is it?" Dom asked sitting up in his bed and the door opened and Vince walked in, his protection amulet swinging around his neck.

"There's a race tonight." Vince said smiling.

"I know."

"You'll be racing your new girlfriend." He said waggling his eyebrows.

"I know."

"What if she wins? Will you still want to be with her?" Vince asked and Dom scowled at him.

"How could you ask that? Of course I will, but there's no way she's beating me." Dom said, finishing with a cocky smile.

"Yeah that's what I thought." Vince said and left, closing the door behind him. Dom lay back on his bed with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. What if Perna did beat him? He could feel the metal of the pendant against the skin of his chest. Just like she had directed, he never takes it off. He showers with it on and sleeps with it on, he gave the team these instructions and they all agreed. It can't protect you if you don't have it on. He knew that Perna wished that she was just being paranoid, but they both knew that she wasn't.

She had told him that she was seriously considering leaving LA if they were attacked again, that had made him stop her in her tracks with hands on her shoulders and reassure her that they would all be okay. But he knew that she didn't completely believe him. And he knew that if one of the team died at the hands of the things that were after her, she would feel as guilty as if she had killed them herself.

Perna did some apartment work (same as housework) during the day; she warded the doorways and the windows also. This way Bounty Hunters or anyone under the influence of one will be able to get it. By the time that was all done it was almost time for the race so she quickly got dressed putting her weapons on, glamoured, and left her apartment. In the lobby she passed by her neighbors and scratched the head of their two-year-old boy Brian, smiling kindly down at him.

"Where are you going?" the mother, Debbie, asked.

"Out with some friends." She said and Debbie nodded.

"Have fun Perna."

"Thank you Debbie, I probably will. Bye Brian." Perna said waving to the little boy and he giggled. Perna went to her car and got in, starting it up, knowing someone was watching her.

Perna parked in her usual place and got out, smoothing down her black halter-top and adjusting her dark green pleather pants. Hector came over smiling.

"You are racing tonight right?" he asked and she nodded. "Against Dom?"

"That's my plan."

"You think you gonna win?"

"Oh hell Hector I don't know, but I'm certainly not planning on losing."

"This ought to be quite a race." He said as the team came in, in V-formation. Dom parked and got out of his Mazda, automatically coming over. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head.

"What's wrong with a simple 'hello'?" Perna asked looking at him and he smiled at her.

"I like this one better." He said and she smiled back.

"Well I'm not complaining." She said and he kissed her lips gently.

"You are so not winning tonight."

"Oh I so am." Perna said and he noticed a new necklace around her neck, he was too wrapped up in her presence to notice before. It was a pewter pendant on a black cord that had been shortened so it hung on the hollow of her throat. The pendant was a Celtic cross within two circles, the first smaller on went through the cross and the bigger second one went along the edges.

(A/N: if you ever been in TSX, the necklace I'm talking about is the Unity of Male and Female one. But I don't know if they have them in all stores. I got it when I went to the mall with my Happycore Candy Kid mall rat. I wanted to get the Protection one but they were all out.)

"When did you get this?" he asked touching it briefly.

"I've always had this, I just haven't worn in until tonight." She said.

"What's it mean?"

"Unity of Male and Female." She said and Dom gave out a short burst of laughter.

"Only you would wear a pendant that means sex." He said and she smiled.

"Well based on current events, I thought it was very appropriate. Okay we've chatted long enough, time for race business." Perna said and he nodded his arm still around her shoulders. They walked over to his car and the racers gathered. He took his arm from around her shoulders and she stood facing him along with the other racers.

"Okay, this is a very special race, you all probably know that tonight I'm racing Perna. So Perna, how much money did you bring with you?"

"5 Grand." She said smirking.

"Where did you put it?" someone asked and her smirk turned into a grin.

"So the stakes are this. 5G buy in; winner takes all. Hector holds the money." Dom said and Perna reached up into her hair that had been piled on top of her head, she pulled out a roll of bills and her hair fell around her body in curly red waves stopping at the middle of her back. She handed the roll of bills to Hector, and shook her hair out running her hands through it, a few guys whistled making her smile. The other racers handed their money to Hector as well.

"Ok, let's enjoy this thing." Dom said grinning and they went back to their cars.

Five cars pulled up to the line, Perna and Dom right next to each other. Reaching into her glove compartment she pulled out a pen and wound her hair around it, keeping it out of her way. When it was secure she looked over at Dom and winked at him, blowing him a kiss. He smirked and looked forward again. Hector got their attention and they all put their cars in gear revving their engines, his arms went down and they took off like a shot. Dom and Perna were even at the start but as she glided through gears she sped ahead. They traded places for a second, but then Perna stepped all the way down on the gas and she sped ahead far. Even when Dom hit the NOS in his car she still won, but he was at her bumper when she did. They drove to the gathering line and she stopped getting out of her car, leaning against it as they caught up.

Dom parked and got out of his car as a crowd formed around them. Hector pushed his way through.

"Your winnings." He said and put the two rolls and three wads into her outstretched hand. She counted it and put them into her car.

"Twenty five thousand, all there." She said as she emerged. Dom came up and picked her up with his hands around her waist. He brought her down and their lips collided. "You're awfully happy considering you lost." She said when they broke apart and they crowd laughed. He said nothing but kissed her cheek and stood behind her, his hands on her stomach.

"My Lady! My Lady!" was heard over the crowd and a small child wearing loose clothing and glittering blue fairy wings strapped to her back pushed through the people to stop in front of them. Perna pulled out of Dom's grasp to crouch in front of her.

"Danielle what are you doing here?" she asked and the little girl threw her arms around her.

"Protect me!" she said and Perna stood, wrapping her arms around the little girl, her legs hitched around her waist and balanced on her hip.

"Perna what's going on?" Hector asked.

"Harpies." Danielle whispered in Perna's ear. "Three of them, coming this way. They almost got me. Don't let them get me." She whispered fearfully, starting to cry.

"I won't." Perna whispered back, smoothing back the little girls' blonde hair.

"Perna?" Dom asked putting a hand on her shoulder and Perna looked at him. "What's going on?"

"We have to get out of here Dom, I'll explain it all when we get out of here." Perna said and he nodded.

"No party tonight!" he said and got into his car. Perna got into hers after making sure Danielle was safe in the passenger seat and started up the car. The people took it as a sign to leave and they rushed to their cars. Dom, Perna and Danielle and the rest of the team got out of there as fast as they could.


	6. VI

Perna stopped when she got to the house. The rest of the team parked and got out of their cars. She wanted to be as far away from people as possible but still covered, and her apartment definitely wasn't the place to be. Danielle leapt in her arms as soon she had the seat belt off and she carried her at a sprint up the stairs. Vince, who was the first one to get to the door, unlocked it and they filed in, he locked the door behind them.

"Okay Perna. What the hell is going on? Who is this kid? She your daughter?" Leon asked and Perna looked at him.

"She's not my daughter." Perna said moving from side to side as Danielle continued to cry. "Shh, its okay sweetheart. They won't get you." She whispered.

"You promise?" she asked looking at her.

"I promise." Perna said and kissed her forehead, setting her down. "Okay, Danielle you have to tell me everything that happened."

"Okay, I was doing a routine checkup on this lady's flowers, like I do every night. When I heard them, the sounds they make, it was terrible. One of them came down into the garden and every plant around them died. She looked at me and laughed then lunged at me, but I had already started the transportation spell. I came straight to you." Danielle said and the wings fluttered, going from blue to purple.

"Those are actual wings?" Vince asked.

"Yes, they are." Perna said. "Dom, you know that Fey species I told you about? Guardian Fey?"

"Yeah." Dom said.

"Meet one of them."

"Wait a minute. You said they were like Tinker Bell, this one looks like a small child."

"They are Tinker Bell-like in nature, not in appearance. They watch over flowers and plants, sometimes even people." Perna said.

"Okay, I'm confused. What the hell are you people talking about?" Leon said.

"Long story, I'll explain later if we're all still alive." She said and her and Danielle clasped their hands to their ears, Danielle screamed and Perna dropped to her knees. It took them a little while to hear it too. Screeching, a high pitched screeching sound. Blood started to trickle out of their ears.

"What the fuck is that?" Leon yelled and Perna yelled a word in Gaelic, her glamours slipping away. The sound stopped abruptly. "It's gone."

"No, I just kept us from hearing it. Harpie calls have been known to make people either go insane or die." Perna said and they looked at her as she drew herself to her full height. Everyone's but Dom and Danielle's eyes widened.

"Perna?" Mia asked and she nodded.

"This is my true form. I am Warrior Fey, the last of the strongest clan. And we are all in deep shit." She said seriously. "I will explain all if we get out of this alive." Dom went to her side and stood behind her again, putting his arms around her waist, running his hands along the coarse black leather of the jerkin.

"Dom, you knew about this? About her?" Letty asked and he nodded, not looking at her. He put his cheek on her head and closed his eyes. Perna put her hands on his arms and leaned back against him. "Dear Lord Dom. She's not even human."

"The protection amulets I gave you all will protect you from the Harpies. As long as you're wearing it, they can't harm you. So Letty, I advise that you go get yours and put it on right now."

"I don't need your protection. I can protect myself."

"Not against these you can't. I can barely kill them. You want to see the scars I got from them?"

"You mean the mass of scars on your back and stomach?" Dom asked looking at her and she nodded.

"That's from when a Harpie tried to rip me in half. We need to take care of Danielle, Fey or not, she's still a child. You guys got a cellar?"

"Yes." Mia said.

"Mia take her down there, they can't get her there. And stay down there with her, in fact all you guys go." Perna said.

"I'm not leaving you." Dom said.

"If you want to stay alive, you will leave me. Now go all of you." Perna said in her most serious tone, and Dom took his arms from around her. Mia came over and took a sniffling Danielle's hand, leading her to a door. She opened it and flicked a light switch; the two went down the stairs into the basement. The team trooped after them, Dom was the last one to go down with one last look at Perna.

Perna stood in the middle of the living room an arrow notched and the bow relaxed, steeling herself for the battle to come. In her minds eyes she saw her last encounter with Harpies, when they killed her entire family in front of her, ripped them to pieces, then tried to kill her the same way.

"Perna." She heard and opened her eyes seeing the Harpie standing there. It looked like a woman but it wasn't. Its skin was gray, bats wings protruded out of its back and tattered cloth covered its body. Its dark hair was matted and tangled and when it smiled, razor sharp teeth appeared. "So good to see you again." It said waving at her in a mocking way. Razor sharp talons took the place of fingernails. She raised the bow and pulled back the string, it launched itself at her and she fired.

Dom and the team sat around the basement and they all flinched as a roar split the air and there was a heavy thump. Something shattered and there was that screeching sound again, but it was cut off abruptly. Something heavy fell against the basement door then slid down the wood. Then there was silence; no one even breathed as seconds of silence ticked by. Dom was the first one to get to his feet and climb up the stairs the team staying put. Mia stayed with Danielle who was shaking in her arms on her lap.

Dom slowly eased open the door and looked around; there was no one there.

"Perna?" he asked and his eyes fell on a bright red splash of blood on the wall. There was a screech and he was suddenly face to face with a Harpie, he could see his own death in those bottomless full black eyes, no whites at all. There was a roar and Perna tackled it, knocking it to the floor. They wrestled on the floor, each trying to get the upper hand. It swiped at her with deadly looking claws and cut open her cheek.

"My knife!" she yelled and he saw a shining silver blade next to his foot. He kicked it over to her; she picked it up and stuck it in the Harpie's body under the ribs, pushing it onto its back and sitting astride it. Perna removed the knife and buried her arm up to the elbow in its body and Dom retched. The Harpie flailed and screamed in pain, as Perna seemed to be looking for something. "Where is it?" she yelled. "There it is!" she suddenly yanked pulling out what looked like a still beating heart, her arm up to the elbow covered in blue blood.

The Harpie screamed one last time then collapsed into ash, the heart in Perna's hand doing the same. Dom bent over and vomited right there on the floor so hard that he cried.

"Only way to kill a Harpie is to take out the heart." She said as she got to her feet. "Immortal my ass." She pushed the ash with her booted foot in disgust. Her eyes flicked to him, kneeling on the floor, tears running down his face and dry retching. "Dom are you okay?" no answer. "Talk to me Dominic, I have to know that you're okay. I have to know if it swiped at you before I tackled it."

"It didn't have time." He said hoarsely and looked at her, her arm was still covered in thick blue blood. Red blood flowed down her neck from the deep gashes in her cheek and he could see more gashes in her chest. "You're hurt." He pointed out.

"Dom you may not want to watch this." She said and she raised the blood-covered arm. She smeared the blood into the gashes on her cheek, scraping some off her arm and smeared it on her chest and those wounds healed too.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked.

"Harpie blood was healing properties, it's why they are so damn hard to kill." Perna said and he watched, as the gashes on her cheek slowly closed leaving not a scar. The wounds on her chest also closed and left no scars. "I'm sorry you had to see that Dom, I never wanted you to see me when the blood lust had taken over."

"Blood lust?" he asked.

"I'm a warrior, remember? Its my nature." she said and there was a long silence.

"Dom!" Vince yelled up the stairs. "Is it safe to come back up?" he asked and Dom looked at Perna.

"It is, there was only three of them and you just saw me kill the third." She said and Dom looked down the stairs, getting to his feet.

"Yeah its okay V, you guys can come up now." He said stepping away from the door and the team trooped up the stairs, Mia carrying Danielle.

"Are they all gone My Lady?" Danielle asked and Perna nodded.

"They're all dead." She said and Danielle hopped out of Mia's arms, running over and hugging Perna's legs.

"Thank you for protecting me." She said and was gone in a flash of light. She waved her hand and arrows in different parts of the house came to her hand, she wiped them off and slipped them into the empty quiver still on her back. She walked over and picked her bow off the floor, unstringing it and putting it away.

"Perna um...could you not come around anymore. Just for a little while." Dom said and she looked at him sadly. "I need to be away from you, to process what I just saw." He said and she looked down for a second then back up, nodding.

"I understand. I'm gonna go now, I lost a lot of blood." She said and did just that, left.

"Sure, leave us to clean..." Letty started.

"Letty." Dom warned. "Don't."

Perna got back to her apartment, grateful that it was so late and that everyone was asleep. She didn't think she had enough energy left to glamour her self. When the door was locked she automatically went to the bathroom to take a shower.

She stood there in the tiny stall, watching the water swirl down the drain, turned slightly purple as the water mixed the blood on her body. She leaned back against the shower wall and slid down, racking sobs shaking her body.


	7. VII

When Dom finally fell into fitful sleep, the first blushes of dawn appeared over the horizon.

He was walking up the cellar steps, which seemed to go on forever. He opened the door at the top and looked around.

_"Perna?" he asked but there was no answer. There was a screech and he was face to face with a Harpie, seeing his own death in its bottomless, savage black eyes. There was a roar and Perna tackled it. They wrestled on the floor, each trying to get the upper hand. It slashed her cheek with its deadly claws._

_"My...!" she started but stopped when the Harpie buried its arm in her chest, ripping out her heart, then proceeding to devour it. _

_"Perna!" he yelled and the Harpie's eyes flicked to him. It pushed Perna's heavily bleeding body off and stood, licking her blood off of its hand and arm. Rooted to the spot he didn't move as it approached it. It swung at him and..._

Dom woke sitting up in his bed, drenched with cold sweat. Sunlight shown brightly through his window, a wind coming through the open window moving his curtains. He hugged his knees to his chest, feeling the kind of cold that couldn't be driven away with warmth. Three weeks had passed since that night with the Harpies, yet he continued to have nightmares of Perna dying. He hasn't seen or heard from Perna since that night. He still wore his protection amulet, they all did, even Letty, since that night. There was a soft knock on his door.

"Yeah?" he asked and the door opened, Letty coming in.

"Hey Dom." She said and he nodded his greeting, she started rubbing the pendant absent-mindedly between her thumb and index finger, a habit she formed after that night.

"Did you want something?" He asked peeling his sheet away from his bare chest.

"You still having The Nightmare?" she asked and he nodded. "You never told us what happened, or what you saw you know."

"I'm still dealing with it. Its not everyday that you see...what I saw." He tried to say 'its not everyday that you see your girlfriend rip the beating heart out of a Harpie's chest' but he couldn't, the words caught in his throat and he croaked out the words he said instead. There was a flash of light and a child with wings was standing in his room.

"Sir Dominic?" she asked and he nodded while Letty snorted. "I am Brigit, and I come here on behalf of My Lady Perna."

"Why did she send you? Why didn't she just come here herself?" he asked and she looked at her feet shyly.

"My Lady Perna doesn't exactly know that I'm here." She said and Dom perked an eyebrow.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"I mean, the whole Fey world has been buzzing like a swarm of angry Nixies about My Lady Perna's human consort." Brigit said looking at him and ignoring his question. "Its unprecedented. A Fey taking a human for a consort, even more so for someone such as herself."

"A Warrior." Dom said and she shook her head, looking at him quizzically.

"Did she not tell you?" she asked. "No I suppose not, I suppose My Lady would think that that kind of information is lethal, and it is in certain societies."

"What is?" Letty asked.

"I mean it's the whole reason why her family was killed by Harpies in the first place. The Harpies that attacked this house in fact. My Lady Perna has been running away from it for so long, its only natural that she be reluctant to yield that sort of information, especially to humans. No offence meant Sir Dominic." Brigit babbled, ignoring Letty's question as well.

"Brigit!" Dom barked and she jumped looking at him with wide, scared eyes. "Just tell me what she is!"

"I can't, not without her permission." She said quietly.

"I won't tell her." Dom said.

"Neither will I." Letty said.

"It does not matter, Fey Royalty..." she stopped, slapping a hand to her mouth.

Across the city Perna was sitting in her window, still in her dark blue silk pajamas, when two words traveled to her ears on the wind. _Fey Royalty_ it whispered and she cast her mind out, seeking the person that had uttered those dangerous words. Her mind fell on that of a Guardian Fey, Brigit. She was at Dom's house, in his room. She transported immediately to that location, disappearing from her windowsill.


	8. VIII

Perna was suddenly standing in his bedroom, looking pissed.

"Brigit? Did we let something slip?" she asked sarcastically and the little Fey looked at her feet again.

"I'm sorry My Lady, it was an accident." Brigit the Guardian Fey said, a tear slipped down her cheek and Perna's expression softened. She knelt and put her arms around her.

"Its okay, I forgive you. You know that you don't have to afraid of me. I would never hurt the very people I was born to protect." She said and Brigit clung to her.

"Thank you My Lady." She said and Perna stood the little girl still in her arms. "We need you My Queen, we need you to rule your Kingdom. Ever since the Royal Family was assassinated and you were forced into hiding ten years ago, the Centaurs have taken over."

"Centaurs? What kind of trouble have they've been causing?"

"We're constantly at war with the Trolls, most of us have fled Ireland and Wales and come here to America. We need you to set things right again." Brigit said and Perna nodded. "King Mathus has all the Warriors constantly fighting."

"Mathus? That conniving mule? That's who's been ruling you?" she asked and Brigit nodded against her hair. Perna set her feet and thought for a long moment. "Okay."

"Okay?" Brigit asked with her head cocked to the side.

"I'll take my rightful place as Queen, I'm not going to have my people destroyed just because Mathus was always teased by the Trolls when he was a colt." She said and Brigit hugged her.

"Thank you My Queen! Thank you!" Brigit said.

"Now Brigit, you can't say a word of this to anyone. It may reach Mathus' ears, and the element of surprise is key in this."

"I won't tell a soul." She said and in a flash of light, was gone. She reappeared and pushed Letty out of the room with surprising strength.

"You coulda just asked me to leave you know!" Letty said angrily as the door closed.

"What was that all about?" Perna asked and Brigit went to her, grabbing her hand and dragging her over to the bed where Dom still sat.

"I know it's not my place, but patch things up with your consort My Queen. That's all I'm saying." She said and vanished again.

"Guardian Fey." Perna said in a manner as if that explained everything. She looked at Dom and then away. "I suppose we should talk huh?" Dom smiled softly and grabbed her wrist pulling her to him. She climbed on the bed, straddling his hips and he put his hands on her back looking up at her. She lowered herself down sitting in his lap and their lips collided, he pressed her tighter against him as she put her arms around his neck.

"Didn't bother to get dressed in real clothes?" he asked when he broke their kiss, running his hands along the silk of the tank top making her move into his hands. Needing to feel his hands on her skin, she removed the tank top and he ran his hands where he had when she had it on. His fingertips ran over the coarse, thick scarring on her stomach and back. She had at one time asked him if he wanted her to glamour those so he wouldn't be able to see or feel them. He told her no, because they made up who she was.

"Dom." She panted as he started to run the tip of his tongue along her skin. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked looking at her.

"Sorry if I scared you."

"You didn't scare me. All the nightmares that I've been having since that night have been of you dying, not of the Harpie dying. Now if you don't mind, I worked up a bad case of 'Perna withdrawal' and I want to get rid of that." He said and she laughed, but her laughter was cut off as a gasp escaped her throat.

Perna lay with her head on his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat. She drew small designs on his skin with her fingertips until he grabbed her hand.

"That tickles." He said and she smiled up at him. "I don't care if you're not human, you still got the right things in the right places." She laughed at that.

"Well my people's anatomy is the same as humans, it's how we can blend in so well." She said sitting up and lifting his hand. "We have hearts." She placed his hand over her heart, letting him feel the strong beat against his palm. "And lungs." She took in a deep breath and exhaled, listening to him catch his breath as he watched the way her bared breasts moved. "Our blood is red like yours, we eat, sleep and do the things that you humans do. We just aren't human. Our men have the parts that human men do, I mean how else would we be able to reproduce. But there is something that sets us apart, other than the obvious outward physical features, you know the eyes and the ears."

"What's that?" Dom asked as he pulled her back down to his chest.

"You can't get me pregnant. Not even if you wanted to. Our species are chemically incompatible. The chromosomes don't match up."

"How many do you have?"

"Two hundred thousand."

"Holy shit, we only have forty-six. No wonder they don't match up." Dom said and she nodded against his chest.

"And the women of my kind are different than yours."

"How?"

"We don't menstruate." She said.

"How the hell is that possible?"

"With human females I believe that if the egg isn't fertilized then the body expels it. With faerie females, our bodies absorb the unfertilized egg and use the nutrients in it to strengthen our other systems." She said matter-of-factly.

"That's different. That's definitely different. But like I said, you got all the right things in all the right places so I don't care if you're not technically human. But I do have a question."

"Fire away."

"How come Guardian Faeries have wings but you don't?"

"I don't know. Legend says that one of our Gods got angry with the Mother of All Faeries and right before she gave birth to the first Warrior Fey he chopped off her wings and so that last baby was born wingless. But that's just a legend."

"Why do you believe that you don't have sparkling wings?"

"I think through evolution we lost them because we didn't need them. The Guardian Fey needed them to fly around gardens and meadows, spreading their magick to help the flowers and plants grow. But we didn't need wings; all we needed were our instincts and our prowess with weapons and fighting." She said and he nodded as if he understood. She talked about all this as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And it was, in her world at least. He was in the dark when it came to this, but it was starting to get brighter.

They lay there for a little while, her arm wrapped around his waist and he rubbed her arm.

"We cannot lie in this bed all day." Perna said.

"Why not?" Dom said and she laughed, vanishing from his bed, her clothes going too. "Why can't she warn me before she does that?" he called out to the ceiling but of course the ceiling didn't answer. Grumbling, he got up and got dressed going to the bathroom to shower, then going back to his room to get dressed in normal clothes instead of boxers and a T-shirt. He went downstairs to see the team sitting around the living room looking tired. He waved to them shortly before grabbing his keys and heading out to his car, driving to Perna's apartment.

Dom climbed up the stairs and stopped at her door, knocking. It was opened a short time later by her.

"Hi." He said and she smiled.

"Hi. Come on in." Perna stepped aside so he could enter and he did shutting the door behind him. As soon as the door was closed he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him.


	9. IX

The entire team was in the garage that afternoon as Perna explained the situation, and what existed in her world and what didn't. As she talked she paced in front of them, talking with her hands as well as her mouth.

"Okay, so that's pretty much everything." She said after she ended with the most recent information. "Questions? Comments?"

"I really wish I was Fey, then I wouldn't have to have my goddamn period every month." Mia said and Perna laughed.

"I think every human woman in the world would want that." She said. "Anything else?"

"Those things that attacked the house, those were…?" Vince asked.

"Harpies, related to gargoyles. Only gargoyles look like giant dogs with wings. And they are both nocturnal." She said and Vince nodded, standing.

"Okay, time to go." He said.

"Go where?" Dom asked.

"Jesse's getting out of the hospital today. Remember?" he said and Dom looked confused for a moment.

"But…" he started and Perna walked over, laying her hand on his shoulder.

"That Bounty Hunter said that Jesse was dead, didn't he?" she asked and Dom nodded. "He said that so you would agree to kill me."

"Oh, another trick."

"Yeah. Those Bounty Hunters are very tricky, they'll do anything for a price, remember?" Perna said and he nodded. "Now you guys go pick up Jesse, I'll stay here or maybe go to the house."

"You don't want to come with us?" Mia asked.

"I don't know him, I'll meet him later on." Perna said. "Now go pick up your friend from the hospital."

"Okay, see you in a little while." Dom said and stood from the toolbox he had been sitting on, kissing her forehead. The team left and their cars drove away a moment later. Perna vanished and reappeared in the living room of the fort. She sat down on the couch and picked up a magazine that was lying on it next to her, starting to flip through it.

"You sure you're okay?" Leon asked.

"I'm fine Leon, for the thousandths time." Jesse said rolling his eyes. "I'm completely healed up."

"Okay." Leon said. "Wait until you meet Dom's new girl Jesse-man. She's…different." Leon said and Jesse laughed.

Perna heard the distinctive sound of the team's cars and she quickly glamoured herself, going to the front door. She opened it just as they were walking up the stairs. She crossed her arms and leaned in the doorway, smiling. She locked eyes with the person that could only be Jesse and her smile faltered.

_No, it can't be._ She thought but recovered.

Jesse stops before he gets to the steps and stares at a patch of sidewalk to his right, his heart racing.

"You okay man?" Leon asked and he looked at him, a little pale, and nodded.

"I'm fine." He said and looked up at the steps, seeing the woman in the doorway, her smile faltering as they locked eyes.

_It can't be._ He thought, knowing that she recognized him too.

"That Dom's new girl?" he asked.

"Yeah, Perna." Leon said and noticed the look on his face. "You know her?"

"No." Jesse said. "Just for a second I thought she looked familiar, but she doesn't." he said as he watched Dom put his arms around her, kissing her cheek, both of them smiling. Jesse and Leon walked up the steps along with the rest of the team.

"Jesse this is Perna." Dom said and he and Perna shook hands.

"Nice to meet you Jesse." Perna said.

"Nice to meet you too." Jesse said as they withdrew hands. They locked eyes for a brief moment and sent each other the same message. _Later._

"The team haven't told me much, but um…how are you?"

"I'm good, all gun shot wounds are healed up." Jesse said and her eyes widened as she looked at Dom.

"Gun shot wounds?" she asked.

"It's a long story." He said and she nodded. "Okay, we have a lot of work to do at the garage. Why don't you two stay here and talk, get acquainted." He suggested.

"Good idea." Jesse said and Perna nodded. Dom kissed her cheek again and the team left, they only locked eyes again when the front door was closed and they heard the team's cars drive away.

"What the hell are you doing in LA?" Perna asked.

"I could ask the same to you." Jesse said and she walked away from him, turning her back on him.

"After the stunt you pulled back in Ireland, by Royal Law I have every right to kill you where you stand."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because they wouldn't understand, all they would know is that I killed one of their friends." Perna said and stripped away her glamours; Jesse stripped away his and her metallic silver slitted eyes locked with his neon green ones.


	10. X

"We are going to the garage Ciaran, you even think about glamouring yourself and I will tear it from you. You and I both know how _painful_ that is." Perna said, stressing the word 'painful' slightly.

(Ciaran is pronounced Key-are-an. I think)

"I understand Perna." He said and she perked an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Nothing." She said and it was his turn to perk his eyebrow. "Really Ciaran, nothing just drop it. Its just something that came up that's all." she said and sighed. She walked closer to him and stopped in front of him, touching his long dark hair. "Its been so long since I've been around another Warrior Fey." Her fingertips traveled down his arms that were encased in muscle.

"And how long has it been since you've been with another Warrior Fey?" he asked stepping closer to her. His true form looked nothing like his Jesse form. He was taller than Perna, his shoulders were wider, his skin tanned and toughened with exposure to sun and battle. It took all his concentration to keep the glamour up while he was in the hospital. In truth, his gunshots effected him very little and healed within days. Jesse was weak and Ciaran was strong. His dark hair reached the middle of his back, ending in natural curl. He spoke with a thick Irish accent, making his deep voice almost impossible to understand. Back in Ireland, Ciaran was considered quite handsome among the Fey and when he glamoured his eyes and ears only, among the humans as well.

"Please don't Ciaran, I'm with Dom." Perna said and he made a rude noise.

"Dom's a human, he can't give you what I can. There used to be something between us Perna. What happened to us?" he asked touching her cheek tenderly.

"You tried to assassinate my father, that's what happened to us." She said meeting his eyes and he looked away guiltily.

"I made a mistake Perna, and in consequence I had to run for my life and I lost you. So why are you here in Los Angeles?" Ciaran asked and she looked at him funny.

"I thought everyone in our world knew what happened."

"I've been out of the loop since I left."

"I was seventeen when it happened, you had left what? Two years prior?"

"Something like that yes, now tell me what happened."

"They're all dead. My family I mean. My mother and father, brothers and sisters, all dead. Killed by Harpie assassins, I don't know who hired them."

"I'm so sorry Perna. Harpies, dear Goddess." Ciaran said and cupped her cheek in his hand. "And you're the only survivor?"

"Yes, I managed to escape." She said and he put his arms around her, sliding his callused hands under her shirt and feeling the coarse scarring.

"Dear Goddess." He whispered as he ran his fingertips along them.

"But I didn't manage to get away unharmed." She said and he took his hands out of her shirt, wrapping them around her body and holding her against him in a hug. Perna put her arms around him, feeling the smooth leather of his vest. Closing her eyes, she inhaled his familiar scent. His hands started to move down her body slowly to cup her thighs and pick her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Ciaran carried her to the couch and sat down, running his hands under her shirt again while she laced her fingers in his hair. She leaned down and ran the tip of her tongue along the edge of his pointed ear; a small noise escaped his throat.

"Perna, its been too long." He said as he touched her skin. "Let me make you feel the way that human can't."

"It has been too long." Perna said and pressed her lips to his in a rough kiss.

Ciaran's leather vest lay on the floor and she rocked against him while his lips laid siege on her neck, collarbone and shoulders. He unhooked her bra and slipped it off, tossing it on the floor.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Perna panted. "I'm with Dom, we have to stop."

"You want this. You want me." Ciaran said and she didn't try to contradict him, her body ached for him. It has missed him since he left. He extended his hand and with a flick of his fingers, all the doors and windows locked and the blinds were drawn down. For the next half-hour, their bodies reacquainted.

They stayed on the couch for a long time, still intimately locked together. He started to stroke her hair and he pulled her head in for a deep kiss.

"Leave Dom. Be with me." Ciaran said when he pulled away and she nodded weakly.

"Anything, anything to be with you again. My love, my only love." Perna said, her voice breathy. "I was foolish to think that I could ever love Dominic Toretto. He's far too human." She then noticed the weight on her mind; something was dulling her instincts. She locked eyes with Ciaran and knew what it was. She snarled and leapt off of him hitting him across the face, the spell broke in that volatile action.

"What happened to my only love?" he asked holding his jaw.

"You bastard, you spelled me." Perna said and he shrugged.

"Guilty." She hit him again and he let her.

"Get dressed and get out."

"This is my house, I lived here with the team since Leon and I met up with them."

"No, this is Dom's house." Perna corrected and he shrugged again, standing and pulling his pants up, fastening them.

In the garage Dom's mind kept wandering back to Perna.

"Dom!" he heard and snapped out of his daydream. He looked over at Leon.

"What?"

"Why don't you go see what Perna's doing? You haven't been able to concentrate on anything today." He said and Dom stood, setting down the tool that was in his hand.

"Good idea Leon." He said and left, getting in his car and driving away.

"I mean it Ciaran, get the fuck out." Perna said getting dressed; she fluttered her hand and all evidence of their coupling vanished. She slipped her shirt on and ran her fingers through her hair. Ciaran walked over so he was standing in front of her, he had kept his vest off and the hard muscles of his chest and arms gleamed with sweat. He put his hands on her arms and she shuddered.

"I'm sorry I spelled you. But it was made to bring forth your love for me, not create it. You still love me Perna, be with me."

"No." Perna said strongly trying hard not to look at him. He moved closer and she felt his warm breath on her cheek.

"Be with me." He said again, his lips brushing her ear lobe.

"No Ciaran, so back off." Perna said.

"That I cannot do." Ciaran said and kissed her hard.

Dom pulled up in front of the house and got out, his anticipation of seeing Perna again growing inside him. He near sprinted up the steps taking two at a time and tried the door but found it locked. That was strange. He fished his key out and slipped it into the lock, turning it. He opened the door and was met by the sound of kissing.

He strode into the room expecting to see Perna and Jesse, but what he saw was Perna in her true form locked in the embrace of a tall muscular man with long hair. His hair was tucked back revealing pointed ears.


	11. XI

One of Perna's knees came up and into the Fey's groin, hard. He grunted and backed away, bending over.

"What the hell is going on here?" Dom demanded and Perna looked at him with wide, shocked eyes.

"Dom!" she exclaimed.

"Perna? What's going on?" he asked and his mind was back in Mexico when he caught Letty cheating on him, it resulted in a huge argument and forced her to sever the relationship on the spot. Movement caught his eye and he looked at the Fey, watching him turn into Jesse. "Holy fuck." He said with wide eyes.

"Ciaran is Warrior Fey, he was exiled out of the kingdom when he was a teenager for trying to kill my father. Even before we were born, we were um…betrothed."

"Betrothed? As in engaged?"

"It was severed as soon as he was exiled of course. It was a strategic move, both of the eldest children of two strong Warrior clans. A princess and a warrior, it ensured the survival of the species." She said looking at her feet.

"Not to mention she'll give me strong sons." It sounded weird hearing what looked like Jesse, say that. Perna looked at him and growled.

"That is not going to happen." She snarled and he grinned, turning back into Ciaran.

"I spelled you so you would fuck me on the couch, and you did, oh the sounds you made." He said and she clenched and unclenched her hands.

"No, you're not going to make me. You can't, you'll never get me that angry." Perna said but he started to chant in Gaelic, she whimpered dropping to her knees. Her jaw locked and she growled out her own words, her features changed to something bestial and frightening, her eyes glowed like mercury. She whipped her head around to look Dom in the eyes and he went back a step. "Dom…give me your hand." she growled, holding her hand out to him. He reached out a hesitant hand and she grabbed it. He gasped, dropping to his knees as her magick speared through him, touching something deep inside him, something primal, forcing it to come to the surface. A low growl escaped his throat and they locked eyes.

In that moment it felt like he was floating, his essence melding with hers. He saw in her heart, her deepest fears and strongest feelings. In the deepest region of her heart he saw himself as she sees him. He looked strong, powerful in body and mind, a protector, a warrior. Her memories flitted over his eyes and he saw her childhood, moments of her relationship with Ciaran when she was a teenager. A memory was still raw still painful, and that was the memory of her family's death. He watched as Harpies ripped them apart. The memories surged forward to when Harpies had attacked the house, from the previous memory he recognized the Harpies and felt her fear as she fought them and her greater fear as she saw one in front of him.

He accessed all her skills and suddenly he knew everything she knew about war and fighting, he absorbed her skills both in battle and language. He knew Gaelic, how to speak it, read it, write it and understand it fluently. He knew how to use weapons of war, bow and arrow, crossbow, swords and knives. He knew all the ancient spells of her people and what they did.

With a jolt they were thrown back into their own bodies and they released hands, breaking eye contact.

"Amazing isn't it?" Ciaran asked.

"What is?" Dom asked, panting.

"Being her anchor. I used to be once, but then she fell out of love with me. She loves you Dom; or else she wouldn't have been able to use you for grounding. If she hadn't and she tried, it probably would have killed you or driven you mad." Ciaran said and he looked over at Perna, but had to look down since she had fallen unconscious, and that's what had broken contact with them. Dom stood and gathered her in his arms, and carried her up the stairs to his room.

He set her on the bed and lay next to her, his arm around her waist. Her eyelids fluttered then opened, immediately settling on him.

"Dom?" she asked weakly and he brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Do you hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?"

"I cheated on you with Ciaran. My people are _very_ monogamous, and the punishment for infidelity is severe."

"How severe?"

"Death."

"They'd kill you?"

"Not me. Ciaran. They won't kill me because I'm royalty." Perna said and her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry Dom. I'm so, so sorry." She started to cry and he put his arms around her, stroking her hair.

"Perna, Perna look at me." He said and she looked at him. He brought all the knowledge of her language that he gained to the surface of his mind. "I love you. I love your smile, I love your laugh, and I love your eyes. I love you." He said smoothly in Gaelic and she smiled.

"I love you too." She said in the same language, and he understood what she said. "Do you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. Perna, I have to be with you. Let me be with you." He said and she kissed him. When she pulled away she buried her face in his chest. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and held her to his chest. In English he said: "What's going to happen now?"

"I don't know. You got a lot of information from me. You may know how to use the weapons, but that doesn't mean that you'll a worthy opponent."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll have to start to train you." She said then rolled her eyes. "That'll be fun." Sarcasm dripped from her voice.

"Oh gee thanks for your vote of confidence." More sarcasm, she laughed and kissed his lips quickly.

"Perna!" they heard Mia yell from downstairs and they both jumped up, racing from the room. They ran down the stairs to see Ciaran, still in Fey form looking at her, his shirt was still off and his hair spread around him. "Perna who is that and why is he here?"

"Mia, that's Ciaran. You know him as Jesse."

"Jesse? But that's imposs…" her voice trailed off as Ciaran turned back into Jesse. "Well Leon is going to shit his pants." They all laughed.

They were all sitting around the living room while Perna and Ciaran explained everything, leaving out a few incriminating details.

"So even when we met, you were Fey?" Leon asked and Ciaran nodded, for modistes sake he had put his shirt back on.

"Yes, I'm sorry I deceived you Leon, there were thousands of times where I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn't have believed me." He said and Leon nodded, Vince rubbed between his eyes.

"I have a headache." He said and Perna went over to him, he looked up at her suspiciously.

"Calm down." She said as she touched his temples. Her eyes closed and a deep furrow appeared in her brow, she relaxed and backed away, her eyes opening.

"Thank you." He said and she nodded.

"What she do?" Letty asked.

"Took away my headache." Vince said leaning back on the couch, looking very serene. "She's a keeper Dom, don't screw things up with her." he said and they laughed.

"Well I'm glad that you have decided to take your place as Queen, Perna." Ciaran said and she looked at him.

"Why?"

"Well you'll need a royal bodyguard, and who better than the strongest Warrior Fey outside the Royal Line?"

"Got a point, but you try anything again Ciaran, and I'll castrate you." She said and they all laughed. "I'm not joking." the guys' laughter stopped and they looked horrified, holding their parts while Letty and Mia laughed even harder.

"Damn girl, I'm starting to like you." Letty said and Mia got of the couch.

"Okay, I'm gone." she said and headed for the front door.

"Whoa where you goin?" Dom asked and she looked at him.

"Out with my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" they all asked, except for Perna and Ciaran.

"Yeah boyfriend." Mia said looking embarassed.

"How long have you two been going out?" Dom asked going into protective older-brother mode.

"Since before you guys got back."

"And why haven't we learned of this until _now?_" Vince asked.

"Because it really wasn't any of your business." Mia said.

"What's his name?" Letty asked.

"Victor."

"Victor?" Dom asked. "Victor what?"

"DeVoe." She said and he nodded.

"Bring Victor DeVoe by the house later, I'd like to meet him." he said with an air of superiority.

"Why?"

"Well based on what your last boyfriend turned out to be, I think it'd probably be a good idea. Don't ya think?"

"Victor isn't a cop Dom."

"Can't take that chance again. Please Mia."

"Okay Dom. I'll bring him by later."

"Thank you. Now have a good time."

"I will." She went over and kissed her brothers cheek before leaving, her car screeching away from the curb a minute later.

"In the meantime." Perna said turning to Dom and putting her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist, pulling her body tightly against his and they vanished.

"Damnit Perna." Ciaran said and vanished also but came back a short time later with Perna holding his arm, a bright red flush to her cheeks and her lips a deep rose color.

"Stay." She commanded and disappeared.

Dom laid on her bed, waiting for her to return after getting rid of Ciaran who had popped in right in the middle of them kissing deeply. She suddenly appeared above him, a knee on either side of his hips.

"He gonna stay away?"

"Yup, unless he wants to pop in and see us copulating."

"Copulating huh? I love it when you talk dirty." He said and she smiled, leaning over to kiss him. He lifted his arms as she removed his shirt and goosebumps raised along his body as she ran her hands along his chest, running her fingertips over his left nipple.

"Perfection." She whispered, following her hands with her eyes and they kissed again.

Ciaran was sitting on the couch in True Form, Letty on one side and Leon on the other. He suddenly stood and looked down at Letty.

"Letty can I talk to you outside for a moment, alone?" he asked and she looked up at him.

"Sure." She stood and they went out into the backyard, looking at the setting sun. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Letty I'm going to be absolutely honest with you."

"Okay."

"I think you're beautiful." He said and she looked taken back at his blunt words.

"Um…I thought you liked Perna."

"That's just old feelings and political gain." He said fluttering his hand. "But ever since I met you, I've thought you were beautiful. I knew I didn't have a chance in my 'Jesse' form so I didn't pursue it, that and you were with Dom." He met her eyes and let his longing for her show.

"Ciaran I…"

"No it's okay. I understand." He moved past her to go back into the house but her hand on his bicep stopped him.

"Jesse is a cute kid. But you…you're beautiful, male perfection. Even if you aren't…you know…human." Letty said and Ciaran reached up, trailing a fingertip down her cheek. His fingertip stopped on her bottom lip and his mouth opened slightly. Cupping her cheek he stooped down and captured her lips with his.


	12. XII

Letty savored the kiss, her eyes closing lazily and her arms wrapping around his neck. She loved the way Ciaran tasted and how good his full lips felt against hers. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and picked her up off her feet. There was a small thrill in her stomach but she ignored it. They broke away a moment later and he set her down on her feet.

"Wow." She breathed and he smiled, kissing her lips quickly. She opened her eyes but didn't see the garage behind him, one look around told her why. They were now standing on a cliff and looking past him she could see the glittering expanse of the ocean. "Where are we?"

"Ireland. I wanted to bring you here."

"Why?"

"Look up." He said and she did.

"Oh my god." Above her were millions of glittering stars, twinkling down at her as if in greeting. "The sky's not this clear in LA."

"I know." he said and took his arms from around her, she did the same and he took her hand, leading her to a blanket that was lying on the ground. They laid down on it and looked up, Letty curled up against his side, comforted by his warmth and the solid feel of his body. "Look." He said and raised his hand, saying a few words. Waving his hand across the sky the stars moved and spelled L-E-T-T-Y.

"That was amazing." She said smiling and giggling. He smiled down at her and looked back up, waving his hand back and making the stars go back to normal.

"Lett can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Do you still love Dom?"

"What?" she asked propping herself up on an elbow and looking at him.

"I want to know that what or if you feel for me is real and not some ploy to make Dom jealous enough to leave Perna and want you back. I couldn't do that to her, I couldn't do that to him and I don't want you to do that to me." He said looking at her, a very serious look in his slitted neon green eyes, the pupils large, reminding her of a cat. She thought for a moment then sighed.

"I care about Dom, very much. But no, I don't still love him. And I would never use anyone like that." She said and he nodded.

"That's all I wanted to know."

"You know your accent is very sexy." She said smiling and he laughed. "How long did you know Perna?"

"We grew up together, my father was one of her fathers' personal guards. I'm guessing that he died when her family was assassinated."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not, he died protecting his King, that's the way he wanted to go out, they way he deserved to go out. With honor."

"Perna said something about you being exiled. What's that about?" Letty asked and Ciaran sighed, looking up at the sky and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I was about fifteen at the time. Our, Perna and I, wedding was already planned out, the Council had even narrowed it down to a date."

"Council?"

"Kind of like your Senate, Congress, and Supreme Court."

"Okay."

"Anyway, Perna's Uncle Ian was always fighting for the throne. He thought he had gotten cheated out of it because Perna's father, King Talyn, was the youngest not the oldest son of the last King."

"But I thought in monarchies the oldest son inherits the throne." She said and he smiled.

"Smart girl. In normal cases they do. But King Talyn was a skilled fighter, powerful sorcerer, and skilled politician, much better than his brother was. So the King decided that _Talyn_ would rule after his death, not Ian."

"So Ian got pissed that he got shafted."

"Exactly."

"What does this have to do with you?"

"I'm getting to that. Now Ian wasn't above using tricks to try to get the throne. Extracurricular activities of the sexual nature outside the marriage, especially if it resulted in a pregnancy, would have booted King Talyn from the throne. So Ian tried to say that his dear brother had gotten a Fey woman pregnant. Didn't work, there are spells that can tell you the paternity of a baby before its even born. The truth was that the baby was _his_, Ian's. He tried to trick the spell into saying that it was King Talyn's because they share the same blood. Then he resorted to a tried and true method. Murder. But he couldn't do it himself, that would get him a one way trip to the executioner."

"So he got you to do it?"

"He spelled me Letty, remember he was the eldest son of a King, he was going to be powerful. I was aware of what I was doing, but I had no control. I tried to kill King Talyn." Deep shame and pain passed over his face and she touched his cheek, running her thumb over his high cheekbone. "Thankfully the King saw the enchantment and he exorcised it. The only reason why I wasn't killed on the spot is because I had been spelled, but I did try to kill the King so I was banished from Ireland instead. The Fey Kingdom was given an order that day, if anyone of them see me, they are to kill me on the spot. That's why I created Jesse, he looks nothing like me, it was a perfect disguise."

"Why are we in Ireland? What if a Fey sees you?"

"I cloaked us Letty, no one will be able to see us. Besides we are far away from the Faerie Mounds."

"The what?"

"Faerie Mounds, large hollowed out hills, it's where we live."

"You live underground?"

"Yes."

"But when the Harpies attacked the house, Perna had us go down into the basement. She said that they couldn't get us there."

"The Harpie attention span isn't very good. Once they can't see their prey they don't bother going after it. Perna got you guys out of sight and out of harms way."

"Oh."

"Now lets stop talking about this gloomy subject. Would you like me to show you some more tricks?" Ciaran asked and Letty smiled, nodding.

Perna rested her chin on Dom's bare chest, smiling.

"Hi." She said and he looked at her, smiling back.

"Hi." He said and they kissed gently. She got up, running her fingers through her tousled light brown hair, and walking into the bathroom. Dom got up and followed her, the door closing behind him and the shower starting a moment later.

"That was amazing!" Letty said as Ciaran made clouds gather and swirl, creating roses and spirals in the sky.

"Hold on a second." He said and sat up, reaching over and grabbing a handful of dirt. Letty sat up and looked at it.

"What're you gonna do?" she asked and he looked at her for a second before looking back at the soil in his hand. Leaning over carefully, he pulled a knife from his boot and jammed the hilt down into the dirt in front of the blanket. "Ciaran, what're you gonna do?"

"Just watch." He said and pressed his fingertip down on the point, the corner of his eye twitching as it pierced the skin. He held his finger with the wound upward and held it over the handful of dirt. He tipped his fingertip down a few drops of his blood hit the dirt, sinking in. He moved his hand slowly over the soil, saying a few words and the dirt started to shake, welling up from the center and overflowing out of his hand and onto the blanket. Letty watched in wonder as a shape slowly rose out of the dirt, a shape she soon recognized as a full rose bloom.

"Oh my god Ciaran." She said as he brushed the dirt off the bloom. The rose itself was black, illuminated only by the light of the large full moon above them, and the edges of the petals were a bright, vibrant red. Letty reached out to touch it and found it soft as silk.

"Its called a Blood Rose, because its made from my blood, as long as I'm alive, this will live." He pulled it out of the remaining dirt and shook any excess earth from it. He put it in her hair behind an ear and traced her cheek with his fingertip. "You look beautiful." He said and she removed the Blood Rose from her hair, smelling it.

"It smells like you." She said looking at him from over the top.

"Are you saying I smell?" he asked and she laughed.

"I like the way you smell, its very earthy, woody. You know what I'm trying to say? I'm not doing a very good job of explaining it."

"You did good." he said and put the bloom back in her hair, cupping her jaw and leaning forward for a kiss. She caught his lips with her own and leaned against him.

"Hey sleepy-head, time to wake up." Dom woke up hearing, they had gone back to bed after their shower and he had promptly fallen to sleep. His last image was of her metallic silver eyes glinting at him in the little bit of moonlight coming in from her window. Groaning, he opened his eyes and looked into hers.

"Why'd you wake me up? I was having a really good dream."

"Of?"

"You and I on a beach in the Caribbean."

"Would you like to go to the Caribbean? I could send us there for a weekend, or a week, or a month or two. Some secluded beach that no one knows about. How does that sound?"

"Like heaven. Now why'd you wake me up?"  
"You're meeting Mia's new boyfriend, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"Ya ready?" she asked and he perked an eyebrow at her.

"Ready for…" they were suddenly lying on his bed in his room. "What." He finished and she giggled. She got up and picked up their clothes, which had come with them. She tossed his at him and got dressed, running her fingers through her hair. She glamoured and her hair snarled again as it turned into unruly curls. Dom got dressed and they left his room. Ciaran in his Jesse form and Letty walked past them and Perna stopped them.

"Is that a…?" she gestured to the bloom still in her hair.

"We'll talk later." 'Jesse' said and she nodded. They all went down the stairs seeing the team sitting in the living room. Mia and an unknown man sitting in the loveseat. The man was pale with black hair and bright blue eyes. He had his arm around Mia's shoulders and was looking at her fondly. He looked at them when they arrived and he started, his eyes going wide. Next to Dom, Perna snarled and next to Letty, so did Ciaran. Their glamours fell away and the man stood. His top lip curling back and his canines lengthening.

"Vampyre." The Fey's growled.


	13. Message

Wondering why this story hasn't been updated in like forever

Wondering why this story hasn't been updated in like _forever?_

See my profile for details!


End file.
